How to find out if someone left you money

Hazel BakerUpdated November 21, 2016

In most cases, people who are left money in a will are notified by the executor of the will or the attorney who is responsible for handling the will of the decedent (deceased person). If your current address is not known, or if there is no one officially in charge of handling the will, it is possible that you may have been left money and not know about it. In this case, there are several steps that you can take to determine if someone has left you money in their will.

Contact the executor directly. If you haven't heard from the person responsible for managing the will and believe that you are owed money, contact them directly to find out. They may have attempted to contact you via phone or e-mail using outdated contact information.

Check the local probate court records. Wills are a matter of public record, so contacting the probate court in the state, city and county where you know or think the will was entered into record will allow you to see if an estate has been filed. If you don't know where the estate would have been filed but know where the decedent passed away, begin your search in that city or state.

Visit the court and read the will or ask if a copy of the will can be mailed to you if you are unable to travel there yourself. Be prepared to pay the applicable cost for this service if it is available. You can also ask the court for information about the executor of the will and contact them directly.

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Baker, Hazel. "How to find out if someone left you money." , https://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7593911_out-someone-left-money.html. 13 May 2017.

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About the Author

Hazel Baker has been writing professionally since 2003. She covers e-commerce, technology and legal topics for various online publications. Baker has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with a minor in history from Point Loma Nazarene University.